


The Professor and the Barkeep

by Dreamshaper



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff so far, and bartending, and drinks, why do I keep doing this, yet another one which started out as a one-shot idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper
Summary: Erin tries an online dating app for the first time, and sets a date in a bar to meet with a potential partner. Little does she know how things are going to work out in the end.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Lately, all my one-shot ideas seem to develop a life of their own and become multi-chapter creatures, ahem. Enjoy ;)

Erin already was nervous when she got out of the subway, and this only increased as she walked to the bar.

It was the first time she was doing this, meeting someone she had met on a dating app for drinks – not quite sure if this could be called a date or not – and so, she told herself that she had ample reason to be nervous; after all, this person might not be the charming, funny potential partner she had been exchanging texts with the past few days, but maybe a weirdo, or a creep, or even a psycho rapist serial killer.

_It’s not a psycho rapist serial killer,_ she scolded herself, not liking where her train of thought had gone, once more appalled at how easy said train seemed to move onto such dark tracks, _and even if this person is weird or creepy, you’re meeting at a public place. There will be other people around, and you can just leave or ask for help if it gets too much._

At least, she thought to herself, the bar her potential date had suggested didn’t look shady or seedy, but surprisingly upper class, fitting for a meeting with someone who was professor at Columbia; this made Erin feel a bit better, and she took in a deep, calming breath before she stepped inside.

She was early, and quite a bit early, too, almost twenty minutes before the time she had set with her potential date; she still scanned the room for the signal they had agreed upon – a red rose her potential date would be holding in one hand -, and told herself not to be disappointed when she didn’t spot the sign anywhere, reminding herself once again that she was early.

Figuring that she should choose a spot from where she could see the door, Erin made her way to the long bar counter, choosing one of the seats which had empty stools left and right, not feeling like having small talk with anyone; she got as comfortable as she could on the somewhat high chair, then glanced around, taking a closer look at the bar now and quite relieved about what she was seeing.

It was clean, she realized quickly, and the furniture looked as if it was replaced regularly and had not been used for the past twenty years; there were bowls with peanuts placed on the small tables and along the bar – not that she would eat any of those, she knew how many people came back from the washrooms without washing their hands and then reached straight into those bowls – and the barkeeper didn’t need long to notice her and move over, almost being a cliché, the way she was drying a glass with a pleasantly clean dishtowel as she greeted her.

“Hey”, she said, not a very professional greeting, but Erin figured that it was okay for such an environment, “what can I get you?”

As she spoke, Erin quickly took a closer look at her; her clothing was somewhat odd, looking as if she had thrown on the first few things she had grabbed in the morning, without a care for colour or matching style, but she somehow made it work, the fascinatingly gravity-defying hairdo and the steel-framed glasses with yellow lenses only adding to the completion of the look.

And she was clean, Erin thought to herself, her relief only growing – she had been to bars where the barkeep was everything but, and had never liked the thought of some unwashed, dirty brute handling the glass from which she would drink.

“Just soda for now, please”, she said, reminding herself that she had to speak up before too much time had passed and the barkeep would think she was rude or weird or both, “I, uh, I’m meeting someone here. In fifteen minutes. And I’m not sure if they will drink alcohol or not so just soda water is fine for now, please.”

She realized that she was oversharing – again, her boss at Columbia would have said, with that cluck of his tongue and little shake of his head she had learned to hate – and fell silent, blushing furiously and cursing herself for her tendency to do so whenever she felt even mild embarrassment; to her relief though, the barkeep didn’t bat an eye at her oddness, but just said “soda it is” and moved away from her again to get her the drink she had ordered.

“There you go”, the blonde barkeep said not even a minute later, placing the glass on a coaster in front of her; the glass was clean, too, Erin noted, and a lemon slice was floating in the bubbly water, a little bonus Erin hadn’t expected, but appreciated.

“I hope the lemon’s fine”, the barkeep said, as if she had read her mind about it, the wink she sent her way making Erin oddly weak in the knees even though she was sitting down, “if you’re allergic or simply don’t like lemon, I can get you a fresh one without it.”

“No, it’s fine”, Erin reassured her, earning a toothy smile from the blonde – before she turned away and got back to work, and Erin cleared her throat, trying hard to not appear lost as she glanced around the bar again.

She tried hard not to look at her watch, but she did look every now and then; and as they time she had agreed upon with her potential date drew closer, she got nervous again, shifting on her seat as now, her gaze wandered to the door more and more often, her heart sinking when the exact time they had set arrived and no man with a red rose showed up.

_Don’t get disheartened already_ , she then scolded herself, taking a sip of her water, _maybe he’s just a few minutes late. Fashionably late!_

She took another sip of her water, and glanced at the door again; and as the minutes ticked by, she felt worse and worse, until it was half an hour past the agreed upon time and she had to admit to herself that he wouldn’t show.

Even though she knew it was fruitless, Erin checked her phone, just to make sure she had no missed calls or unread texts; the only text she did have was from her best friend Abby though, asking how it was going and if she needed a rescue, and she held back a sigh, thankful at the sentiment, but not liking that she would have to write back that she had been stood up.

Erin knew though that she had to come clean about this failure sooner or later, and so, she quickly wrote back that she had been stood up, would finish her drink and then go home; and that was her honest intention as she drank what was left of her soda down quite fast, only for the barkeep to appear the moment she put the empty glass down and give her a look of such genuine concern that it made her pause.

“Here”, the blonde said, before Erin could say anything, pushing a shot glass with a bright green drink over the counter towards her, “you look like you might need this. My own creation, with alcohol, unless you don’t drink alcohol, then I have another one.”

“You’re right”, Erin sighed after a moment, figuring that it would be rude to turn this down and that certainly, shots weren’t handed out for free to everyone at this place, “thank you.”

She took hold of the shot glass and downed the concoction within without allowing herself to pause and think about it; and it tasted better than she had thought it would, with a hint of mint and apple, going down smoothly and without burning in her throat, as shots often did.

“That is nice”, she said, unable to hold back her surprise, the barkeep smirking in response, what’s in it?”

“That’s my secret”, the barkeep replied, and Erin pouted adorably before she could stop herself, “you can only get this drink here, at this very bar, because only I know how to make it. I call it Holtzmann’s Ectoplasm Fantastico.”

“That is a mouthful”, Erin noted, “Holtzmann, after the theologian from Germany? 19th century?”

“No, but kudos to you for knowing him”, the barkeep replied with a small laugh, “actually, Holtzmann is my last name. And what I go by, mostly. I’m impressed though, you’re the first to bring up dear Heinrich Julius, and no, before you ask, I’m not related to him.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Holtzmann”, Erin replied, reaching over the bar to shake the blonde’s hand, “I’m Erin, and while I do know of Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, I apparently don’t know how to secure dates, cause I got stood up. So you guessed quite right when you said I might need a drink. Can I have another one?”

“Sure”, Holtzmann replied at once, filling another shot glass with the green drink and handing it over, “and wow, what a jerk. I’d never stand up a beautiful smart woman such as you.”

“Aw”, Erin let out, finding herself blushing again; and as Holtzmann smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back, she suddenly realized that perhaps, the fact that she had been stood up wasn’t so bad after all, and that something very nice could come from this new acquaintance she just had made.


	2. Chapter 2

“He just didn’t show up??” Abby demanded to know as Erin and she met for lunch the next day, shaking her head incredulously, “not even a text, nothing?”

“Nothing”, Erin sighed, picking at her salad in dismay, not liking it to be reminded of how she had felt when she had realized the guy was a no-show, “honestly, this might be mean, but unless he texts me in two weeks and tells me he got hit by a car on his way to the bar, I’m done with him.”

“You better”, Abby nodded, then shook her head again, “so rude! Aw, now I feel bad for recommending that app to you…”

“Well, it’s not the app’s fault”, Erin gave back, earning a look of relief from her best friend, “so, neither it’s yours. And we both know it’s a good idea for me to use such an app, I mean, I’m just… not the kind of person anyone would ask out on the street. Or at work. Or at a random bar.”

Abby shook her head at this again, but didn’t talk back – she had tried countless times to argue back when Erin had been self-deprecating like this, and knew when it was worth a try to talk her out of thinking this way about herself and when it was a waste of time, and after having just been stood up by a potential date, she knew that nothing she could say would make Erin feel better.

So, she simply reached out and patted the physicist’s shoulder reassuringly; Erin managed a small smile, then sighed again as she pushed her plate away, not really hungry anymore even though she barely had eaten half of it.

“I’m sure it’ll work out at some point”, Abby told her, trying to cheer her up after all, glad when she earned another small smile, “you just gotta keep trying. Hey, if you want, I can come along next time, so you’ll have someone to talk to in case the guy doesn’t show! Or is boring. Or creepy.”

“Aw, how nice of you”, Erin gave back, deciding not to comment on how this implied that she was likely to be stood up again or that she might attract guys who were boring, creepy, or both, “but you don’t have to. The barkeep was actually really nice, when she noticed I’d been stood up, she gave me a shot on the house and it was really good.”

“Nice indeed”, Abby agreed, earning a slightly brighter smile this time, “and the offer stands, in case you want me to come along next time. Just let me know.”

“Will do”, Erin reassured her, not planning to take her up on this offer though – it had been humiliating enough that she’d had to text Abby about having been stood up, she really didn’t want her there to see it happen live, “but enough about that for now, let’s talk about something else.”

Abby nodded her agreement, then changed the topic by telling Erin about a book she had started to read; and this conversation lasted them through the rest of lunch, until they had to part ways and get back to their classes, Erin for the moment forgetting all about her failed date and about the app.

* * *

Between classes, Erin had a few minutes to kill, and so, she ended up looking at the app again after all; she swiped left on several guys who didn’t catch her interest, then found one who seemed interesting enough – _Phil, 43, Professor_ , it said – and swiped right, the few profiles she looked at afterwards not all too interesting to her either and prompting her to swipe left again.

Realizing that her next class was about to start, she put her phone away and focused on teaching, something she always enjoyed and something which always made her feel better; and it did this time, too, the obvious enjoyment her students had for her lecture giving her ego a much needed boost.

The class passed way too quickly for her liking, and all too soon, the students were filing out of the lecture hall again; and since she had a bit of time to kill again, Erin checked her phone, surprised to see that the guy she had swiped right on already had sent her a message.

_Hi,_ he had written, _we matched! You’re a professor too, that is amazing. What’s your field?_

It was an okay first message, Erin decided, at least, he didn’t comment on her picture right away or, even worse, asked for nudes – or sent her a picture of a certain part of his anatomy, something she had received one time so far and had no interest in ever having it happen again; she quickly wrote back, telling him she was a physicist, but not adding where she was teaching, not wanting to reveal too much of herself during the first few messages.

_How interesting,_ his answer came quickly, as if he had been waiting for her response, and Erin wasn’t quite sure what to feel about this, if it was a good sign or if it signalled that he was needy and would demand all her attention, _I’m a chemistry professor, but physics have always interested me, too. Perhaps we could discuss our respective fields over drinks?_

“Well, he doesn’t waste much time”, Erin mumbled to herself, figuring though that she had nothing to lose; and so, she wrote back that this sounded like a good idea, and suggested the bar where she had been the previous evening, telling herself that she had done so only because she already knew how to get there, she didn’t have it far to her home from there, and she knew it was a nice and clean place.

He agreed to meet her there, again writing back quickly, and suggesting the next evening at seven; Erin agreed, then smiled to herself, wondering if perhaps, this time it would lead somewhere, but telling herself not to get her hopes up too much, not wanting to end up disappointed like the last time she had tried this.

* * *

Once again, Erin was early, not twenty minutes this time, but still more than ten; she felt odd relief at the fact that Holtzmann was behind the bar again, then told herself not to be stupid – Holtzmann had just been doing her job when she had been nice to her after all, and probably didn’t even remember her.

“Oh hi”, the blonde proved her wrong a few moments after she had sat down at the bar, “Erin, right? Welcome back. What can I get you?”

“Water again, please”, Erin said, pleasantly surprised that the barkeep remembered her name, “and some good luck please so I won’t be stood up again?”

“Coming right up”, Holtzmann replied with a small laugh, making Erin smile, “and not to jinx it, but I created a new shot. Just in case.”

“Good to know”, Erin dryly replied, earning a smile and a wink from the bartender before she went to get her the water; it came with a slice of lemon again, and a curly straw this time, Holtzmann solemnly telling her that the straw was for good luck when she put it down in front of her.

“Thank you”, Erin smiled, feeling oddly charmed as she pulled the glass closer and took a sip – through the straw no less, even though she normally wasn’t a fan of curly straws; and apparently, it seemed to work, because right on time, a guy who looked quite a lot like the photo of Phil in the app approached her and cleared his throat, asking her if she was Erin.

“Yes”, she confirmed, “you must be Phil then, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise”, he smiled, and as he sat down, Erin took a closer look at him; he looked a bit blank, she thought to herself, but then, she probably didn’t appear all too adventurous either, with her blouse and little bow-tie and skirt, and after all, it was rude to judge someone based on their appearance.

“Hi there”, Holtzmann greeted him once he had gotten comfortable, “what can I getcha?”

Erin was somewhat glad that Holtzmann didn’t make any comment about how she hadn’t been stood up this time, giving her a brief grateful smile while Phil ordered a glass of water, going as far as telling Holtzmann that it should be regular water, “not carbonated”, the blonde quite good at not letting it show if she thought this was weird.

“So Erin”, Phil said once he had placed his order, turning on his seat a bit to look at Erin, “tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m a professor at Columbia”, Erin said, “I teach particle physics, and a few days ago I had a paper released—”

“Oh, me too”, Phil interrupted her, Erin falling silent, a bit taken aback by this, only feeling more irritated when he kept talking, telling her about how great this paper had been and how well it had been received; he asked her if she had read it, and appeared miffed when she said No, prompting her to justify herself by telling him that she wasn’t that interested in chemistry.

“Well, it’s interesting”, he claimed, “you see, with chemistry, we learn so much, how the world is put together, and…”

“Scuse me”, Holtzmann threw in, “here’s your order, non-carbonated water.”

“Thank you”, Phil said, then frowned at the glass, and stopped Holtzmann before she could walk away again, “excuse me, Miss? Why is there a lemon wedge in this? I didn’t ask for a lemon wedge. Just water, please.”

“Okaaay”, Holtzmann let out, taking the glass back; Erin caught her eye and raised her eyebrows, and she was pretty sure that Holtzmann had to struggle to hold back a smirk in response.

“So, as I was saying”, Phil returned his attention to Erin while Holtzmann got him his non-carbonated water, “with chemistry, there is something new to discover every day. We’re on the verge of a breakthrough and…”

He kept talking, and Erin pretty much zoned him out, just drinking her water and exchanging looks of disbelief with Holtzmann every now and then; and when Phil interrupted himself to check his phone, then told her he had to go, she couldn’t quite bring herself to feel bad about it.

“We should do this again some time”, he added, to her relief not trying to kiss her on the cheek or even on the lips, “I had a great time, Erin.”

Erin made herself smile politely at him, and he grinned back at her before he took his leave; and the moment he was out the door, Erin groaned and let her head drop down onto the bar counter, deflating visibly while Holtzmann held back the urge to snicker at how awful this man actually had been.

“No surprise you had a good time”, she mumbled, talking more to herself than to anyone else, and unaware that Holtzmann was listening, “you talked about yourself non-stop for almost an hour. Jesus Christ.”

She sighed, then lifted her head again, pleasantly surprised when she saw that Holtzmann had put yet another shot glass down in front of her, the concoction inside a deep red this time, in stark contrast to the bright green she’d been offered last time.

“Figured you might need this”, the barkeeper commented while Erin gave her a grateful look, “I call this one the Cranberry Crusher. Let me know what you think, and I promise I won’t interrupt you to start talking about myself halfway through.”

“God”, Erin replied, rolling her eyes, “and I bet he didn’t even notice I barely said anything for 90 percent of the time we sat here. Honestly, it was almost better when I got stood up, cause then I didn’t have to listen to the prattling of this narcissistic man.”

She took hold of the shot glass and gulped the contents down; to her surprise, it didn’t taste of cranberry, as she had expected due to the name, but of strawberry and a bit of lemon, the physicist raising an eyebrow as she looked at Holtzmann.

“There’s no cranberry in this, is there”, she demanded to know, the blonde snickering in response, “why do you call it cranberry crusher if there’s no cranberry?”

“Cause the first sip crushes the hopes of any cranberry being in there”, Holtzmann grinned, and Erin rolled her eyes – before she found herself giggling, shaking her head, all at once feeling much better, and not quite sure if she could blame this solely on the alcohol she just had gulped down.

“I like it”, she then declared, putting the empty shot glass back on the counter, “can I have another one please?”

“Sure”, Holtzmann gave back at once, pouring another shot for her into a fresh glass; and as she put it down in front of her, she gestured at her blouse, a smile curling her lips and a twinkle in her eyes when she continued.

“You know, that’s a very cute bow tie”, she stated, prompting Erin to look down at it, “might be the tiniest bow tie I’ve ever seen. Where’d you get it?”

“Um, it came with the shirt”, Erin gave back, not quite sure what to think of this and wondering where this would lead; apparently, it led nowhere though as Holtzmann just grinned and nodded, then moved to serve another customer, Erin remaining where she was, blinking as she had no idea what all of this bow tie talk just had been about.


	3. Chapter 3

“Holtzy”, Holtzmann heard her name being called shortly after the end of her shift, catching her just as she pulled on her jacket and got ready to head home, “there’s a mistake in your tally, two Cranberry Crushers served, but not on it.”

“Oh that’s not a mistake”, Holtzmann called back, buttoning up her jacket as she walked out of the backroom staff used for breaks, smiling innocently at the tall woman standing behind the bar now, “I gave them for free, and added them to my tally.”

“Well, you forgot to mark it on your tally”, the other woman gave back, “you’re lucky I know you well so I don’t think you’ve been trying to stiff me. But Holtzy, really, you can’t keep giving away shots for free to random girls, no matter how pretty they are.”

“I will have you know, Patty dearest”, Holtzmann solemnly replied while she added the shots to her employee tally, truly having forgotten about it, too distracted by Erin being there again, “it was not another girl, it was the same girl who got the two Holtzmann’ Ectoplasm Fantastico. She came back here!”

“Oh did she”, Patty gave back, raising an eyebrow, “did she get stood up again and you had to comfort her with more free shots?”

“Nope”, Holtzmann shook her head, “her date actually did show up this time. But he was a self-absorbed prick who talked about himself for roughly an hour, then looked at his phone and said he had to go, so I had to comfort her about that with more free shots.”

“Aw, poor her”, Patty dryly said, earning another innocent smile from the bartender, “okay, fine, far be it from me to tell you what to do with the money you earn here. But don’t make this a habit, alright?”

“Well, I don’t know if she’ll come back”, Holtzmann pointed out, then let out a heavy sigh, “and even if she does, she’s probably straight as a board, and I have no chance with her, but I felt bad for her. Both times. I just wanted to make her feel better.”

“Because you have a kind heart”, Patty replied, now smiling at her, “but if she really is as straight as you think, don’t lose that heart to her in case she does come back, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“And that is why you’re not only my boss, but also my friend”, Holtzmann smiled, Patty’s smile widening in response, “good luck with the rest of the night, I’ll see you tomorrow Pattycakes!”

“See you tomorrow”, Patty replied, Holtzmann waving goodbye to several regulars as she walked out; she hailed a cab, not feeling like taking the subway this close to midnight, glad that she had been tipped enough that evening to easily be able to afford that – not that Patty wasn’t paying her well, but it was a bartender’s wage, and the tips were a nice bonus to that.

Thankfully, she managed to get a cab fairly quickly, and after she had told the driver her address, she stared out the window, deep in thought; she found herself thinking back to Erin, to her cute tiny bow tie and to the smile the redhead had given her when she had explained the name of the shot to her.

She told herself again that Erin was probably straight as a board, judging from the fact that she had met with a boring bland man like her date of the evening; still she couldn’t help herself, but found herself attracted to the redhead, already able to tell that she was smart and finding her adorable, wanting to get to know her better and actually listen to her when she talked, something her date had tragically failed to do that evening.

_What an idiot_ , Holtzmann thought to herself, holding back the urge to shake her head, not wanting the taxi driver to notice, _if she went on a date with me, I’d spend the evening absorbing every word she has to say. Too bad it will probably never happen._

She held back a sigh, then got snapped out of her thoughts as the driver stopped in front of the apartment building; thanking him, Holtzmann left him a somewhat generous tip, then made her way to her apartment, yawning by the time she was unlocking the door.

Still she took a minute to brush the spray out of her hair, knowing what a mess it would be if she didn’t; then, she changed into the oversized X-Files shirt she wore to sleep and dropped down onto her bed, fast asleep moments later, dreaming of auburn hair and blue eyes, her dreams obviously not caring about how little her chances were when it came to Erin.

* * *

“So, the guy showed up”, Erin told Abby all about her date in the next day, rolling her eyes at the memory, “on time, even, and I was glad. Until he asked me to tell him about myself.”

“Did he get creepy when you did?” Abby wanted to know, making a face, and once more wondering if it truly had been a good idea to recommend this app to Erin, with how disastrous the results had been so far; Erin let out a sigh and shook her head, then made a face as well, Abby only feeling worse for her when she answered.

“No, he didn’t”, Erin let her best friend know, interrupting herself with a sip of her coffee before she went on, “he let me talk for about ten seconds, then he interrupted me and started telling me all about himself. And he wouldn’t stop. We sat at this bar for about an hour, and I think he talked fifty-eight minutes of that hour, until he looked at his phone, said he had to go and suggested we should do this again, telling me he’d had a great time.”

“Oh my God”, Abby said, shaking her head, “what a jerk! You’re not gonna do this again with him, right?”

“God no”, Erin declined at once, with another grimace, “if I want to spend an hour listening to boring middle-aged men talk about their work, I’ll just hang out with the male professors at lunch. At least with those, I know they don’t want to get in my pants.”

“That’s what you think”, Abby countered, and Erin rolled her eyes yet again; then, she sighed and cast an unhappy look at her phone, Abby feeling bad once again for having recommended the app to her.

“I’m not sure if I should give this another try”, the physicist admitted, “I’ve tried twice, and both times it was a bust. But at least, the nice bartender was there again and gave me another free shot, she must really feel bad for me. And probably questions my life choices.”

“I don’t think she does”, Abby replied with a small laugh, “come on, she’s a bartender. I bet she sees stuff like that all the time.”

“Maybe I’ll ask her one day”, Erin thoughtfully said, prompting Abby to raise an eyebrow as this implied that Erin wanted to go to this bar again; she decided not to question it though, but simply nodded, giving Erin an encouraging smile as she gestured at the phone.

“Give it one more try”, she suggested, “you know what they say, good things come in threes. Maybe number three will be a magic number and an amazing guy! I’ll look with you if you like!”

“Sure, why not”, Erin gave back, shrugging, figuring she had nothing to lose – and perhaps, she then told herself, Abby was right, and she would find a good match this time, “you want to look right now?”

Abby nodded at once, having some time before her next lecture would begin; Erin shrugged again, then opened the app on her phone, Abby shaking her head at the first guy the app suggested to her.

“Swipe left on that one”, she said, “he already looks bland and boring, he’ll be like the guy from yesterday.”

As it turned out, the next three guys looked just as boring and bland, and Abby started to wonder if Erin had had accidentally chosen some sort of setting which only portrayed the most boring-looking men the app could find; then, finally, one who didn’t look quite as boring popped up, Abby making a face though while Erin looked a bit interested.

“What”, Erin said as she noticed the look on Abby’s face, “he looks not as boring as the others, no? He might be nice.”

“He has a pornstache”, Abby pointed out, “and he has his last name there, don’t you think that’s a bit weird? It just says Rorke. Everyone else has their first name.”

“The barkeep at the bar where I met Phil goes by her last name, too”, Erin replied with a shrug, “I don’t even know her first name. Maybe he doesn’t like his first name. And a pornstache can be shaved off. I’m gonna swipe right on him, who knows if we’ll match anyway. I’ve swiped right on a few guys I haven’t matched with, so…”

She did so before Abby could stop her, prompting her to shake her head at Erin’s choice; ignoring her, Erin checked her watch, then declared that she had to get moving if she didn’t want to be late for the lecture, putting her phone away and coming to her feet.

“Alright, I’ll keep you posted about Rorke”, she said, Abby nodding her agreement even though she still wasn’t sure this had been a good guy to swipe right on, “lunch at twelve?”

“Looking forward to it”, Abby smiled, Erin smiling back at her before she grabbed her bag and headed off to her lecture, feeling much better after her talk with Abby and telling herself that certainly, things would work out sooner or later.


	4. Chapter 4

As it turned out, Rorke had matched with Erin, and they exchanged a few polite texts before he suggested meeting in person; Erin agreed, and made a suggestion of her own, by offering to meet him at the bar Holtzmann worked at, once more reasoning to herself that she only had done so because it wasn’t far from her home and she knew it was clean and a nice place.

He agreed, and they set a time and date; and once again, Erin was there early, and once again, Holtzmann was behind the bar, smiling brightly at her the moment she sat down on one of the bar stools.

“Welcome back”, the blonde said as she moved over to her, “let me guess, try number three? Let’s hope he’s not as boring as the last guy. Water?”

“Yes please”, Erin gave back, smiling at the younger woman, “with a straw of luck again if you don’t mind? And some lemon?”

“Coming right up”, Holtzmann replied, moving to the fridge in which the water bottles were kept; and as she cut off a fresh slice of lemon and threw it into the glass, she found herself hoping that the date would be another bust, wondering if this made her a bad person, but unable to help herself.

From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Erin, feeling her heart skip a beat when she noticed that Erin was watching her; and clearly, the redhead felt caught at Holtzmann looking at her, as she blushed brightly and looked away quickly, at first at her watch, then towards the door.

_Wonder if her date is late,_ Holtzmann thought to herself as she poured bubbly water into the glass, then found one of the curly straws and added it, _or if she’ll be stood up again. Would suck for her, but it would give me another chance to talk some more to her…_

She reminded herself that she was on the job, that Erin wasn’t here for her, but actually had a date, and pushed those thoughts far from her mind as she grabbed a coaster; then, she moved back to where Erin was sitting, putting the coaster down at first, then the glass, with a bit more flourish than strictly necessary, but it made Erin smile, and so, Holtzmann had achieved her goal.

She smiled back at the redhead, then another customer waved at her and she had to move over to take his order; and by the time she had gotten done with preparing it and putting it down in front of the man, Erin’s date had arrived, Holtzmann feeling a pang of disappointment at seeing the guy sit down next to Erin after they had shook hands, and a moment of disbelief at the guy’s pornstache.

Making sure to keep her face perfectly neutral, so neither Erin, nor her date would have any idea about her thoughts, Holtzmann made her way over to them and asked the guy what she could get him; he said “Whiskey”, in a rather unfriendly tone, something which Erin picked up on as well, judging from how she raised an eyebrow.

She already hadn’t liked people who were rude to waiters and barkeeps before she had become a barkeep herself, and so, she made sure to stay nearby, just in case the man would be rude to Erin too and the redhead might end up needing some assistance.

And as it turned out, that had been a good idea, because it took this guy less than ten minutes to be rude to Erin, as well.

“So”, he said, taking a sip of the whiskey before he continued, “you got any kids?”

“No”, Erin gave back, not quite sure if she liked being asked such intimate questions within the first ten minutes of knowing someone, but figuring that he had a good reason to do so, only for her eyes to widen at the snort he let out and at what he said next.

“That’s a shame”, he stated, Holtzmann making sure to stay close as she could tell from Erin’s reaction that she was not very happy about what she was hearing, “I think women should have kids first and then think about a career. Ideally before they turn twenty-five. And you’re not the youngest anymore, so you might have trouble getting pregnant.”

“Wow”, Erin let out, checking her watch with ostentation, “not even fifteen minutes in, and already you make me regret swiping right for you. Let’s keep this short, shall we, my career is important to me, sexist men like you are not, I don’t want kids at any point of my life, and this date is over.”

“Every woman wants kids”, Rorke replied dismissively, apparently having decided to ignore the rest she had said; Holtzmann had heard enough though and, with very convincingly played clumsiness, threw over the glass of water she had filled for just this purpose and had pretended to serve to Erin, gasping dramatically when the liquid soaked Rorke’s pants.

“Oh nooo”, she said, “I am so, so sorry, how clumsy of me! Aw, now your pants are all wet, look at that!”

“Goddammit!” the man bellowed in response, practically shooting up from his seat so he could stare angrily at his pants, the stain having spread at this point and, to Erin’s amusement, looking as if he had peed himself, “how incompetent are you! Jesus!”

“I suggest you go home”, Erin dryly said, earning a huff from Rorke, “as I said, this date is over, and I imagine you want to change into some dry pants.”

He just let out another huff, but thankfully did not try to argue about the date being over; instead, he glared at Holtzmann once more, then grabbed his jacket and left without another word, Erin watching him go before she let out a heavy sigh.

“I hope I didn’t overstep any boundaries”, Holtzmann said before Erin could speak up, “but I heard what this guy was saying, and figured I might help him along when you said the date is over, before he got any ideas.”

“Thank you”, Erin said with another sigh, “I appreciate the help. And I’m impressed at how well you aimed this, you didn’t get one drop on me.”

“That was mostly luck”, Holtzmann admitted, making Erin smile, “but if I had gotten you wet, too, I would have offered you my spare clothes from the staff room. They’re not quite your style I think, but it would have been better than going home with a wet skirt.”

“I guess so”, Erin agreed, gulping down the rest of her water before she continued, “but I don’t want to go home yet anyway, I’d just sit in my living room and be angry about this jerk. You got any new shot I can try? I’ll pay for it too this time.”

“In fact, I do”, Holtzmann proudly said, “gimme a second, coming right up.”

She grabbed the bottle with her newest creation from the fridge, Erin eying the bright blue concoction curiously; grinning at her, Holtzmann poured her a shot, then told she called it Blueberry Blast, and Erin found herself wondering if it would actually contain blueberry or if it would be a name designed to trick the customer, like the Cranberry Crusher had been.

“There you go”, Holtzmann smiled as she put the shot glass down in front of Erin; thanking her, the physicist picked it up and sniffed the drink, then took a small sip to taste it, surprised and a bit delighted to taste blueberry after all, belatedly noticing that Holtzmann was watching her closely, clearly eager to see her reaction to the drink.

“Tastes good”, she thus said, feeling her cheeks heat up a bit at Holtzmann’s close look, but figuring she could blame that on the alcohol of the shot, “and with actual blueberry, a pleasant surprise. I like blueberry.”

“We got a cocktail with blueberry, if you don’t feel like going home yet”, Holtzmann offered in response; and Erin nodded at once, not feeling like going home yet, Holtzmann giving her another bright smile as she told her the drink would come right up.

Thanks to the evening being somewhat slow at the bar, Holtzmann not only made the drink quickly for her, but then also had time for some chit-chat; and so, Erin asked her what the worst date she ever had seen at the bar was, remembering Abby’s words about how Holtzmann certainly had seen worse than what Erin had experienced and eager to find out if this was true.

“Oh, you’re not even in the top ten”, Holtzmann apparently had seen through this immediately, “trust me. Number one is held by the guy who wanted to impress his date by drinking one of our burning shots, spilled it and set his shirt on fire.”

“Oh my God”, Erin let out, not sure if she should giggle or be mortified, “was he okay? And you can serve burning shots here? Isn’t that dangerous? What if someone spills it on the floor or the seat and sets that on fire?”

In response, Holtzmann reached beneath the bar – and retrieved a fire extinguisher, setting it down on the polished wood with a resounding _thunk_ , Erin finding herself laughing at the possibly unintended dramatic effect this creates, forgetting all about her failed date as she felt relaxed and content now, enjoying her talk with Holtzmann more than she had liked all of the previous dates she’d had at this place combined.


	5. Chapter 5

“You were right”, Erin told Abby in the next day as they had their morning coffee together, “I should have swiped left on Rorke. The pornstache didn’t bother me, but he was so rude, you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Aw”, Abby let out, feeling bad for her friend yet again, but at least, she told herself, it seemed as if Erin wasn’t too heartbroken over failed date number three; the physicist shrugged, then rolled her eyes as she thought back to Rorke and his comments.

“He was a total sexist”, she let Abby know, prompting her to raise an eyebrow, “telling me how women should have kids before twenty-five, and before focusing on their career, and how I’m not the youngest anymore, during the first ten minutes of this so-called date.”

“Woooow”, Abby said, shaking her head while Erin rolled her eyes again, feeling annoyed just thinking about the man’s words, “and you know what, right now, I bet he’s complaining to one of his equally sexist buddies about how you were a total bitch to him during the date and about how women need to learn their place again.”

“Probably”, Erin gave back, shaking her head, “pretty much right after he said these stupid things, I told him that this date is over. Holtzmann helped him along by ‘accidentally’ pouring a drink over his pants before he could say much about that.”

She put airquotes around the word “accidentally”, and for a moment wondered if this was why Abby looked confused now; before she could ask though, Abby spoke up, and her question showed that her confusion had nothing to do with airquotes.

“Who’s Holtzmann”, Abby wanted to know, and Erin blinked, momentarily wondering if she hadn’t mentioned the barkeep’s name to Abby yet, then shrugging it off and answering, unable to hold back a smile as she spoke, a reaction not unnoticed by her best friend.

“The barkeep”, Erin explained, “you know, the one who goes by her last name like Rorke did? Only she’s not a sexist jerk like he was. Like I said, she kinda rescued me by pouring the drink on his pants. He left fairly quickly after that, and I had another drink and a really nice talk with Holtzmann.”

“Well, at least the evening hasn’t been a complete waste then”, Abby smiled, taking note of how Erin’s entire face lit up when she spoke of the nice time she’d had with Holtzmann once Rorke had left, “and next time, when I tell you that swiping right on a guy is a bad idea, listen to me!”

“Would have spared me the conversation with Rorke”, Erin replied, rolling her eyes, then smiling again though, “but also, I would have missed Holtzmann’s top ten of disastrous dates she has witnessed during her job. And no, before you ask, none of mine made the list. Number one is a guy who set himself on fire trying to impress his date by drinking a shot on fire.”

“Oh wow”, Abby said with a small laugh, “poor guy. Lucky you though for not ending up in that list, and at least you still had a good time. So you gonna try the app again?”

“I honestly don’t know”, Erin replied, making a face, “I mean, so far, my record isn’t exactly stellar. Guy who didn’t show up, guy who was boring, guy who was rude. On the one hand, statistic is on my side, one would think I just _have_ to have a nice date at some point if I keep trying, but we both know it doesn’t work that way. On the other hand, I don’t quite want to give up yet, so… Maybe I’ll give it one more try, and if that doesn’t work out again, I’ll delete it.”

“Sounds like a plan”, Abby smiled, figuring she couldn’t tell Erin to keep trying even after try number four would end badly too – having Erin use the app had been her idea, but nobody could be expected to keep using it after four failed tries, especially if the fails were so spectacularly epic.

“I’ll take another look after lunch”, Erin bravely decided, making her best friend smile and nod, “want to look with me again? I promise this time I’ll listen when you say No to a guy.”

“Alright”, Abby agreed at once, earning a grateful look from the physicist; then, Erin changed the topic, asking how her students had done on the latest exam, and for the moment, the app was forgotten, even though Erin found her thoughts stray to Holtzmann every now and then, and found herself wondering why.

* * *

Just like Erin had suggested, Abby and she took another look at the app after they had eaten lunch; Abby vetoed a few guys, one of them a man Erin would have swiped right on, but she had learned from her mistake and listened to Abby, swiping left on the guy instead and wondering what sort of bullet she just might have dodged with a move of her thumb.

The next guy the app suggested appeared on her phone, and she nearly dropped it, Abby looking amused at her reaction, clearly not seeing the appeal Erin could spot at once.

“Look at him!” Erin gushed at the picture, which showed a topless, fairly well-built man with short blonde hair, glasses and, for whatever weird reason, a stethoscope around his neck, “wow, he looks good. And his name is Kevin. That is a manly name. I’m gonna swipe right on this guy, and you won’t talk me out of it.”

“Go ahead then”, Abby gave back, still not quite getting what Erin found so fascinating about this man, but knowing the expression on her face and thus knowing that it would lead nowhere if she’d try to argue; to her amusement, Erin was blushing as she swiped right, the blush fading though as the physicist let out a sigh a moment later.

“He probably won’t match with me”, she then said, looking forlorn as she thought back to the photo, the man’s physique having been quite impressive, “I mean, I’m way out of his league, look at him and look at me. We better keep looking, just in case…”

The phone vibrated on the desk, and a notification popped up on the screen, telling Erin that Kevin had matched with her; and if she had been home alone, she would have squealed, but as she was at work, surrounded by dignified colleagues, she held the noise back, only letting her eyes widen while Abby raised an eyebrow again at how quick this had been.

And apparently, she realized a second later, Kevin wasn’t planning to waste any time, a message coming in right after the phone had announced that they had matched.

_hi im kevin_ , the message said, not all too elegant or eloquent, but then, Erin figured, some people just had trouble with writing on smart phones, _how are you_

_I’m good, thank you_ , she wrote back, deciding not to try and mimic his style of writing, feeling a headache come on at the mere thought, _I hope you are too?_

_im good,_ the reply came quickly again, Abby making a face at the atrocious typing, _wanna meet i got time on friday_

“Oh wow”, Abby let out, not quite sure what to think of this – aside from the awful orthography, the man seemed oddly overeager, and she wasn’t sure that this was a good thing, “he’s not wasting any time, is he. You gonna meet him?”

“Yes”, Erin nodded at once, eyes shining, only to roll her eyes at the look Abby shot her.

“At a public place!” she then added, before Abby had the chance to say something, “at Holtzmann’s bar. I have a good feeling about this one, but I’ll have someone to give me free shots in case it doesn’t.”

“Sounds good to me”, Abby agreed after a moment, having taken note of the way Erin had started to smile again when she had said Holtzmann’s name; she didn’t comment on this though, but merely watched how Erin wrote back to the man and told him that Friday was fine, hoping for her best friend that it would work out fine, but strangely feeling as if it wouldn’t, even though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.


	6. Chapter 6

Erin felt quite excited by the time Friday came around, and even more so when the time to actually meet Kevin drew near; she was at the bar early again, and Holtzmann greeted her with a happy smile, preparing a glass of water with a slice of lemon and a curly straw before her already before she had fully sat down on one of the barstools.

“Thank you”, Erin smiled, nodding when Holtzmann asked if she was waiting for another potential date; she added that she was early, and the blonde smiled, leaning on the bar comfortably, an amused glint in her eyes when she responded.

“I’ve noticed that about you”, she stated, Erin finding herself blushing, to her own surprise, and not quite sure why, “you’re always here earlier than the agreed upon time. Any reason for that?”

“I like to be punctual”, Erin replied, shrugging, “and usually, I leave too early whenever I go somewhere because I always think there will be a problem with the subway, or I might not find my destination right away if I go there for the first time. But usually, the subway is reliable and I find the place where I want to be, so I’m often early.”

She realized that she was babbling and perhaps oversharing again, and so, she made herself fall silent, feeling her cheeks heat up even further as she scolded herself – certainly, Holtzmann hadn’t had an interest in hearing all this, and probably only had asked to be polite.

“Well, I admire that”, Holtzmann told her, sounding so perfectly sincere that Erin didn’t doubt she meant it for a second, “I like people who are punctual. I try to be, too, but sometimes my crazy gets in the way and I end up being late.”

“Aw”, Erin let out, smiling back at her, “you don’t seem that crazy to me, you know.”

“That’s cause you’ve only seen me here at work”, Holtzmann told her, grinning brightly at her, “it’s a whole different story when I’m home, or out and about. Where do you think I come up with all my amazing shots?”

“They truly are amazing”, Erin agreed, the smile Holtzmann gave her in response making her heart skip a bit, which was odd too, “did you make one for today too? You know, with my track record, I might need it.”

“As a matter of fact, I did”, Holtzmann told her, with a proud grin now, “the Elderberry Extravaganza. And yes, it does have elderberry in it. Quite a bit of it, actually. But also alcohol.”

“That sounds interesting”, Erin thoughtfully said, earning another happy smile, “you know, now part of me almost hopes that the date goes wrong so I’ll get a comfort shot of that. Which might make me sound like a potential alcoholic.”

“Nah”, Holtzmann reassured her at once, “just like someone who appreciates my shots, which gives you bonus points in my book. And you do know that you can just order one of them without having to go through a disappointing date first, right?”

“Yeah, but they do make me feel better, and I appreciate that”, Erin let her know, feeling her cheeks heat up again, especially at the look Holtzmann gave her in response, one which she could only describe as flirtatious, sent her way over the rim of the barkeep’s glasses.

“Well, you know”, Holtzmann drawled, and the tone of her voice combined with that look went right into Erin’s chest and made her heart stutter, “I appreciate your company, and I’m glad I can make you feel better, so I’m happy to hear that.”

“I appreciate your company, too”, Erin said, feeling oddly as if in a daze, unable to look away, Holtzmann’s eyes having somehow captured hers; she felt as if she could stare at this fascinating blue colour for hours and wouldn’t get bored, a pleasant shudder running down her spine when Holtzmann gave her another smile, a soft and kind one, and she smiled back without even realizing she was doing it.

“Hi”, a deep voice interrupted the moment – and it had been _a moment_ , part of Erin knew, she had been lost enough within it that the unexpected voice actually made her jump, “Erin, right?”

“Uh, yes”, Erin stammered, taken aback by the interruption still, and feeling oddly regretful about it; and for a moment, she was sure she saw a flash of dismay on Holtzmann’s face, but it was gone before she could be sure, a polite smile replacing it as Holtzmann took a look at the man who had interrupted them.

“Kevin”, Erin added, belatedly realizing how much time had passed, she had gotten so lost in talking to Holtzmann that she hadn’t even noticed, “um… hi. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, likewise”, Kevin smiled, and while the smile had been charming on his photo, Erin wasn’t quite so impressed by it now, still feeling miffed after the interruption, making herself smile back at him though as he sat on the stool next to her, reminding herself of how impressed she had been by his photo, “so you want me to be a doctor?”

“What?” Erin let out, blinking, not quite sure where that was coming from, of all things, “um… like… in the bedroom? Isn’t it a bit early to talk about that?”

She let out a nervous, awkward giggle, from the corner of her eye noticing how Holtzmann was staring at Kevin, clearly having heard his remark, and not liking it one bit; it touched her how protective Holtzmann apparently was when it came to her, and if Kevin hadn’t been there, she would have smiled at her.

“That is the photo you chose, no”, Kevin gave back, sounding honestly confused, “the one where I have the heart listen thingy? It’s the one I use when I audition for doctor roles.”

“Audition”, Erin repeated, Holtzmann inching closer behind the bar, now eager to not miss any of this; she felt bad about it, but it looked like this date wouldn’t turn out the way Erin had hoped either, and judging from how Kevin was looking at her, it might turn out quite amusing.

“There’s a bed involved in this role?” he said, frowning, while Erin just could stare at him, “would it be a romantic scene with kissing?”

“You think I’m some sort of hiring agent, don’t you”, Erin slowly said in response, Kevin smiling at her brightly as he nodded, “and you think I want to hire you… as a doctor? For a movie? Or TV show?”

“Yes”, Kevin nodded, with another bright smile, “that’s what this app is for, no. For producers to find actors! But if it is a role for which I have to kiss someone, I have to ask my boyfriend if it’s okay, I’ll be right back.”

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and walked away – and the second he was out of earshot, Erin groaned and let her head drop onto the bar again, something she did for the second time at this place, and she knew it was making her look pathetic, but she couldn’t help herself, not after this epic failure.

“I can’t believe it”, she muttered into the polished wood, then raised her head again, giving Holtzmann such a dismayed look that the barkeep immediately felt bad for her again, “this has to be the worst one yet. Oh my God.”

“I’m sorry”, Holtzmann showed sympathy, Erin letting out another sigh in response, “poor you, you really have no luck with this app…”

“Yup”, Erin replied, rolling her eyes, “I can’t believe he thought I’m some sort of casting agent. How do you get that from this app?! Jesus.”

“You want an Elderberry Extravaganza?” Holtzmann offered in response, making her smile weakly as she nodded; Holtzmann gave her a hopefully reassuring smile, then moved to pour the drink, and by the time she had filled up a shot glass, Erin had her phone in hand, the blonde finding herself wondering if she was back on the app again, perhaps giving it another try, seeing that the night was still young.

“I’m deleting this dumb app”, Erin announced as Holtzmann put the shot down in front of her, “all I got was disappointment, and I’m done with this. Serves me right I guess, for thinking someone who looks like Kevin would actually be romantically interested in someone who looks like me.”

“Aw, don’t say that”, Holtzmann shook her head, making a face, not liking it to hear Erin talk about herself like this, “come on Erin, you’re smart and beautiful, you don’t need a dumb app to find someone.”

Erin just sighed again in response, clearly not believing her, then took hold of the shot glass and downed the contents in one big gulp; at least though, this seemed to make her feel a bit better, as she licked her lips in appreciation, then smiled at Holtzmann, the blonde immediately grinning back at her.

“This is really good”, Erin complimenting her, “refill this for me? And maybe make it a double? I can really need a double today.”

“Sure”, Holtzmann gave back at once, grabbing a fresh shot glass; and while she filled it up, Erin deleted the app from her phone, having enough of it, holding back another sigh as she waited for her drink, but figuring she had made the right choice, somehow just knowing that the dates she’d find with the app would only keep being weird and disappointing, telling herself that certainly, she’d find someone else another way, sooner or later.


	7. Chapter 7

“So?” Abby wanted to know as she met Erin for lunch in the next day, “how did it go with that hunk you insisted on swiping right on? Did you have a good time?”

“No”, Erin replied, Abby’s face falling as she truly had been hoping that this time, it would work out for her best friend, “you won’t believe this, he actually thought I’m some sort of casting agents, for movies or TV shows. And that I wanted to cast him as a doctor, because I chose the photo with the ‘heart listen thingy’, as he called it.”

“Oh my God”, Abby let out, eyes wide, “seriously? And he was serious, too?”

“Oh, he totally was”, Erin gave back, rolling her eyes and taking a bite of her sandwich before she continued, “when he asked if I want him as a doctor, I thought he’s talking about bedroom stuff, you know, role play, so I said it’s a bit early for talking about such things. He thought I meant I’m talking about a romantic scene for whatever I would cast him and wandered off to call his boyfriend to ask if that would be okay. I assume the boyfriend said no, cause he never came back. Or maybe he just forgot I was there, he didn’t seem all too… bright.”

“Aw man”, Abby said, shaking her head, “Erin, I’m so sorry, if I had known it would turn out like this, I never would have recommended that app to you.”

“It’s not your fault”, Erin gave back, shrugging and making herself smile weakly at Abby, not wanting her to feel bad, “but I’m giving up on that app now, this fiasco with Kevin has been the final straw. I’m done.”

“Can’t blame you”, Abby gave back, making a face again, “I mean, you had like the bad date starter pack. Not showing up, boring, rude, and dumb. The only you didn’t have was creepy. Hey, at least you didn’t have creepy!”

“I probably would have gotten creepy if I had tried for a fifth time”, Erin replied, rolling her eyes, “and I really have no interest in that happening. I mean, Holtzmann would probably have rescued me, like she did with rude guy, but… better to be safe than sorry.”

Talking about Holtzmann gave Erin a pang, as she wasn’t sure she would see the blonde again anytime soon; she knew that technically, she could just go to the bar on her own, hang out there and talk to Holtzmann, but part of her also knew that this might be perceived as strange, wondering if perhaps, Holtzmann only had been so nice to her because it was part of her job and not because she actually cared for her.

_And how weird would it be,_ she then thought to herself, _to go to a bar alone and talk to the barkeep? You’d look so desperate. She’d probably think you’re a loser with no friends. If she doesn’t already think that anyway, after witnessing all those failed dates._

The thought almost made her grimace, and she only held it back because Abby would have noticed and would have asked her what she was thinking about; and so, not wanting to say these thoughts out loud, Erin pushed them aside, and told herself not to be silly – she barely knew Holtzmann after all, only had spoken to her before her various disastrous dates had arrived, and certainly didn’t know her well or was close enough to her to miss her.

Perhaps, she also thought to herself, if she kept telling herself these things long enough, one day, she might end up believing them.

* * *

“Alright”, Patty sighed, rolling her eyes, but still looking concerned, “tell me what’s bothering you. You’ve been mopey and looking like a kicked puppy for the past three days!”

Holtzmann sighed, then shrugged, not sure if she should tell Patty; then, her boss gave her a strict look, and she figured that sooner or later, Patty would get her to talk anyway, and that she might as well talk about her troubles now, when the bar was quiet and they actually had time to talk.

“I miss Erin”, she admitted, Patty raising an eyebrow, not quite having expected this, “you know, the lady with the weird dates? I know it’s weird, but she’s been so nice, and now she hasn’t been here a couple of days, and I miss her. I don’t even know her that well and I still miss her. I mean, all I know is her name! Oh, and that she works at Columbia, cause I heard her tell that to one of her dates.”

“Well, there you go, then”, Patty replied, earning a confused look from the barkeep, “go to the Columbia website and see if you can find her contact info there. Then call her and ask her out.”

“What”, Holtzmann squeaked, the way her voice suddenly was two octaves higher prompting Patty to raise an eyebrow again, “Patty, no, I can’t do that! That would be weird. And creepy. Wouldn’t it?”

“Nah”, Patty replied, shaking her head, “not if you feel that she liked you, too, and from what you told me, you do, and I think she does. You did have a moment before that big blonde dumb guy arrived no? The actor?”

“Yeah, at least I think we had”, Holtzmann mumbled, still not quite sure if this was a good idea, “but what if she was just being nice? So I won’t, you know, spit in her drink. Or so I would keep giving her free shots, she did seem to like those.”

“Everyone likes free shots”, Patty solemnly replied, “but there is only one way to find out. Call her and ask. Or email her, if that seems less creepy. Just contact her, one way or another! I can’t look at your sad face for another day, it makes me feel like I’m looking at a lost puppy.”

Holtzmann just sighed, still not sure if this was a good idea; Patty gave her another strict look, then told her to go home and get some rest now, reminding her that her shift for the evening was over and that she had to be well rested for the next day.

“Yeah, I know”, Holtzmann nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening!”

“You too”, Patty smiled, Holtzmann bravely smiling back at her before she grabbed her jacket and headed out; she made her way home fairly quickly, with the subway this time instead of a cab, having a shower and a small dinner before she went to bed.

This time, she didn’t go to sleep right away though, but opened the website of Columbia University, again asking herself if this was being creepy or weird; then, she told herself she wasn’t gonna do anything anyway, she was just looking, and started browsing, wondering if the webpage would even have information about the professors working there.

She figured that starting at the Academics subpage would be a good start, remembering that Erin had told her boring date that she was teaching particle physics; there were quite a few subpages, but luckily, there was a search bar, as well, and she typed _particle physics_ in there, glad when it immediately provided her with a link.

Still telling herself that this wasn’t a weird thing to do, she clicked it, and it showed her a list of the people working in this area, in administration and the professors teaching it; unsurprisingly, there was more than one, and just as unsurprisingly, Erin was the only woman.

And, Holtzmann quickly saw, there was a phone number, and a mail address, too.

_So her full name is Erin Gilbert_ , the blonde pondered as she stared at the contact info, _I wonder if I should… nah, Holtz, don’t be creepy._

She held out against her first impulse for a whole two minutes, then she gave in, closed her web browser and opened Facebook, quickly typing Erin’s full name into the search bar, making a face at how many Erin Gilberts actually were on Facebook.

For a moment, she almost considered giving up, again worrying that she was being weird and creepy; then, a familiar flash of auburn hair caught her eye, and she scrolled a bit further down, smiling inadvertently when she found Erin smiling at her from the screen, glad that the professor actually used a photo of herself as a profile photo.

The photo wasn’t very flattering, she thought to herself, but despite the weirdly coloured jacket Erin was wearing, she looked stunning, and Holtzmann felt her heart beat faster, even though it was just a photo.

For a moment, her finger hovered over the “add friend” button, and she almost clicked it… before she shook her head and pulled her hand back, telling herself to wait a day or two, to really think about this, and to make sure she wasn’t overstepping any boundaries by doing this.

She took allowed herself another longing look at Erin’s photo, then forced herself to close the app and put her phone on the nightstand; and a short while later, she was fast asleep, at least for the moment forgetting all about how much she was missing Erin.


	8. Chapter 8

A few more days had gone by since Erin’s final try at meeting someone with the help from the app, and Abby could tell that something was bothering her, and she suspected that it had something to do with the app, unaware that this wasn’t quite correct.

Erin’s dour mood had something to do with the app, but not for the reason Abby thought – it had bothered her at first that she had had so many failures in her tries to find a nice man to date, but she had gotten over that fairly quickly, and barely wasted a thought anymore on the guys she had met.

What did bother her, and for more than reason, was that she was missing Holtzmann, and instead of this feeling going away, as she had thought at first it would, it only seemed to grow stronger with every day that passed.

More than once, she caught herself thinking about going back to the bar, just so she would get to see Holtzmann again, and have a chance to talk to her; and these thoughts worried her, as she hadn’t had felt this way about another woman since college, and had halfway managed to convince herself that her parents had been right when they had told her that she wasn’t bisexual, but that it was just a phase, and that it would pass once she’d meet the right man.

_Well, there_ were _some women you found attractive_ , she had to admit to herself one afternoon as she sat in her office, staring at her computer screen instead of doing any actual work, _you only never allowed yourself to think about it for more than a second. So why can’t you do this with Holtzmann, too? Just stop._

Clearly, part of her mind didn’t heed this command, as it conjured up an image of Holtzmann in response, of the sweet smile the blonde had given her whenever they had speaking, and of how she always had tried to cheer her up after yet another date had failed.

Realizing she wouldn’t get any work done, she sighed to herself, then did what she had done several times the past few days – she opened up Facebook and found Holtzmann’s profile, staring at the photos which weren’t set to “friends only”, and asking herself if she was being weird and creepy, looking at this page at least once a day, but never daring to actually add Holtzmann as a friend, still not quite sure if the barkeep actually liked her or only had been nice because it was part of her job.

Her gaze strayed to the “Add friend” button again, but once again, she didn’t dare to actually click it; and just when she decided that she should go back to work, a bright red _1_ popped up at the icon which showed new friend requests, and Erin raised an eyebrow, then moved her mouse to the notification, her eyes going wide when it was displayed.

_Jillian Holtzmann has sent you a friend request_ , the website helpfully informed her, and Erin nearly gasped out loud, not having expected this the slightest, but figuring that it was a good thing – after all, she told herself, she hadn’t been to the bar in over a week, and certainly, Holtzmann wouldn’t have added her if she only had been nice to her because it was part of her job.

Her heart beat faster as she clicked the Accept Request button; and just a few seconds later, the message notification popped up, and Erin only felt more excited as she clicked on that, curious what Holtzmann had sent her.

It was photo of a shot glass, filled with a light green liquid, and she blinked, not quite sure what to think of this; a moment later, the bouncing dots which signalled that Holtzmann was typing something appeared on the screen, and she waited, curious again, smiling when the message popped up on her screen at last.

_Cucumber Chaos_ , Holtzmann had written, the name alone being enough to make Erin’s curiousness grow, _wanna try it?_

_Definitely,_ Erin wrote back, guiltily glancing at her door as she did so, almost expecting her boss to barge in and demand to know what she was doing, since chatting on Facebook wasn’t exactly considered a proper activity for the work time, _you work tonight?_

Holtzmann sent her a thumbs up emoji in response, followed by a large yellow face which was grinning toothily; Erin smiled as well at this and sent a smiley face back, then let Holtzmann know that she had a class to teach in a few minutes and had to get ready for that.

_Okay_ , the blonde’s response came quickly, _later!_

_See you later,_ Erin wrote back, then closed the window, her heart still beating hard in her chest, a reaction perhaps a bit stronger than necessary, but she couldn’t quite help herself, unable to stop smiling as she looked forward to seeing Holtzmann again this evening.

* * *

As Erin got out of the subway and walked to the bar, she felt oddly nervous, not quite sure why; she liked Holtzmann, she was aware of that at this point, but she kept telling herself that this wasn’t a date, Holtzmann just knew that she liked the shots she always created and had probably invited her for this reason, and maybe to create some more business for the bar.

She wondered if Holtzmann was nervous, too, and if maybe, Holtzmann did like her as well; her Facebook profile claimed that she was “gay as hell”, to Erin’s slight surprise and bigger joy, and her relationship status said single, but Erin told herself that this didn’t mean anything – just because Holtzmann was gay, she told herself, it didn’t mean that she’d actually like her that way.

_But she did invite you_ , she then pondered as she stopped in front of the bar, only feeling more nervous now, _after adding you on Facebook, too, that means she wanted to see you again, no? Maybe she does like you that way after all._

Realizing that there was only one way to find out, Erin took in a deep breath, then pushed the door open and stepped inside; and she immediately spotted Holtzmann, the barkeeper talking to a guest at the bar and not noticing her right away, giving Erin a few moments to just stand there and look at her.

Erin already had known that Holtzmann was attractive even before she had learned that the blonde was gay and had realized that she might actually like her back; now, she saw her with new eyes though, and she felt her heart speed up again as she watched the barkeep smile her dimpled smile at the customer, her fingers deftly fixing the drink the man had ordered.

She realized that she had been standing right there in the doorway for quite a bit, and made herself walk over to the bar; thankfully, Holtzmann hadn’t noticed her standing there and staring like an imbecile, she thought to herself as she sat down, but the blonde did notice her practically the moment she sat down, and the smile she sent her way made her feel decidedly weak in the knees.

And as Holtzmann practically bounced over to her, smiling widely from ear to ear, Erin knew that coming here had been the right choice, and found herself wondering what might happen next, smiling as well as she knew that there was only one way to find out.


	9. Chapter 9

“Welcome back, Dr Erin Gilbert”, Holtzmann greeted her, stopping in front of her and giving her another bright smile, “what can I get you today?”

“Well, I was lured here with the promise of cucumber carnage”, Erin replied, momentarily wondering if she’d gotten the name right – and knowing she hadn’t when the corners of Holtzmann’s mouth twitched as she held back a smile, “and I probably just said that wrong, but I want that. And a cocktail, one I haven’t had yet. Surprise me?”

“Luckily, I have a vague idea about what you like”, Holtzmann told her, making her smile again, “and while you did get it wrong, Cucumber Carnage sounds way more badass than Cucumber Chaos. I might steal that name from you.”

“You’re free to have it”, Erin told her, earning another grin which made her heart flutter, “I gift it to you.”

“Aw, how kind of you”, Holtzmann said, and if anyone else had said this in reaction to such words, she would have felt mocked, but somehow, she knew Holtzmann meant it and was not making fun of her, “Cucumber Carnage it is then, and one surprise Holtzmann cocktail. Coming right up.”

Erin watched how she at first filled a shot glass with the light green cocktail she had shown her on Facebook, and put it down on front of her; and while Erin tried the shot, and nodded in appreciation, she mixed up a cocktail, a bright orange drink, another happy smile on her face when she put it down in front of the professor.

“There ya go”, she said, gesturing at the glass with a bit more grandeur than perhaps necessary, but it made Erin smile again, so it had fulfilled its purpose, “I hope you’ll like it. Try it! I won’t tell you what’s in it until you tried.”

Curious, Erin took hold of the glass and took a careful sip, then licked her lips; the drink started out fairly sour, which she liked, but somehow left a sweet aftertaste, and she let out a “hmmm” sound as she tried to figure out how Holtzmann had pulled this off.

“There’s orange in it”, she then decided to start with something she knew for sure, “orange juice or liquor? I’m not sure. It is very yummy though, what’s in it?”

“Orange juice, you got that right”, Holtzmann grinned, making finger guns at her and making her giggle, “and lime for that extra zing. Shot of plain vodka and one of caramel vodka for the extra sweetness when it goes down. You like it?”

“I do”, Erin reassured her, returning the finger gun gesture even though it made her feel awkward, a feeling which vanished quickly though when Holtzmann’s grin widened in response, “very good, thank you. That was a good surprise.”

Another guest appeared at the bar, and Holtzmann had to take care of the woman’s order; she did so quickly, Erin noticed, and not nearly as charming as she was with her, and she found herself oddly happy about this, blushing as she thought about how warm and tingly this realization made her feel inside.

And the moment the woman had been served her drink and turned away from the bar, Holtzmann moved back to Erin, the professor smiling at her, touched by how eager she was to get back to her.

“So, Erin Gilbert”, Holtzmann said, the way her name rolled off her tongue making Erin feel all warm and tingly inside again, “tell me what you have been up to since we’ve last met here. Any more disastrous dates?”

“Thankfully, no”, Erin gave back, rolling her eyes and making Holtzmann snicker, “I actually deleted that app from my phone, after all those failures. You know, Abby, my best friend, she summed it up quite well – she said I got it all, not showing up, dumb, boring, and rude, the only I didn’t get was creepy. At least I didn’t get creepy.”

“Lucky you”, Holtzmann replied with a small laugh, “and yeah, your friend is right. You got like the Dating App Starter Pack, but the dark edition or something.”

“Pretty much”, Erin gave back, smiling as well, not offended by Holtzmann’s amusement at her plight, knowing it wasn’t malicious, “so yeah, no more app for me. If I find someone, I’ll find someone, and if not, well… It’s not like I need a significant other in my life to be complete, you know.”

“Very wise”, Holtzmann nodded, and found herself wondering if it had been a coincidence that Erin actually had avoided specifying the gender of this potential significant other or if it meant something; before she could ponder this further though, and maybe decide that she was overthinking this, another guest demanded her attention, and she moved to take their order, a bit regretful as she had to turn away from Erin again, but knowing that this was her job.

It took her barely two minutes to take the order, mix the drink, serve it and take the money for it, but the time she had finished and turned to look at Erin again, a man had slid into the seat next to her and was smiling at her, and Holtzmann felt like slamming her fists down onto the bar in frustration.

_Go away,_ she wanted to say to the guy, _I invited her here, leave her alone, she came here because I invited her!_

She wanted to say this, but she didn’t, knowing that it would only make the man angry and might lead to a complaint about her; and while Patty was a kind and generous boss, Holtzmann doubted she would be happy if she’d hear that her bartender was cockblocking customers, and so, she kept the words to herself, keeping busy with washing a few glasses, but inching closer to Erin and the guy to be able to hear what they were saying.

“…applied at Columbia, too, you know”, the man was telling Erin, a guy a bit on the short side, and a bit chubby, with short, curly hair and that kind of pale skin one got when they spent a lot of time indoors, “but these days, they don’t want to hire hard working, nice men anymore, they hire minorities or pretty eye candy like you.”

“Interesting”, Erin replied, the cold tone of her voice showing Holtzmann that she wasn’t very much enjoying this guy’s company, “here you are, claiming you are a nice guy and in literally the same breath, you insult me. Not that I need to justify myself to you, but trust me, I got hired for more than the fact that I’m female.”

“But I am a nice man”, the guy protested, Holtzmann glaring at him, something he didn’t notice, but Erin did, and wondered how far Holtzmann would let him go before she’d do something like she had done to Rorke, “really, I just speak some truths which make people uncomfortable. I didn’t mean to offend you, or your work, I’m sure it’s not bad, but we both know that what I just said is true.”

“Rowan, you said your name was, right”, Erin replied, and while he looked confused, he nodded; Erin gave him a smile, an oddly cold one which made Holtzmann glad she wasn’t the one receiving it, and clearly, Rowan noticed something was off as well, since he suddenly looked decidedly nervous.

“Alright, Rowan”, Erin said, not giving him the chance to say anything, “now it’s my turn to tell you some truths which will make you uncomfortable. First, you sat down here without bothering to ask if I actually want your company. I don’t. Second, you asked about me and what I do, which was a good start, but then made it all about yourself, and how you, a white man in his thirties, are all oppressed, which was a bad turn. You’re not. And third, you claim you’re oh so nice and misunderstood, and I bet that, once I tell you that I have no interest in talking to you anymore, you’ll go tell your friends how I’m a mean bitch who only dates assholes and doesn’t appreciate a nice guy like you. Well, go ahead. Have fun. But leave me alone.”

All Holtzmann could do was stare, amazed by how Erin had taken this man apart, and with such ease, too; and clearly, her words had hit the guy hard, since he looked like he was about to cry, unable to say anything, only scrambling to get off the bar stool and nearly throwing over his drink when he tried to grab it.

“Okay, wow”, Holtzmann said the moment he was out of earshot, “I was already thinking about preparing another glass of water to get rid of him for you, but how you just handled him, that was amazing. He looked like he was about to cry!”

“That actually made me feel a bit bad”, Erin admitted, Holtzmann letting out a snort sound in response which made her smile again, “but he did kind of deserve it. I mean, how dare he, coming over here, sitting down without asking and then insulting me? So rude.”

“Very rude”, Holtzmann agreed, nodding solemnly, “and he totally deserved it. That was great to watch, made me like you even more, something I hardly thought possible.”

She winked, and Erin blushed brightly, quickly grabbing her cocktail and taking a sip to hide her face behind the glass – and to hide the wide smile she just couldn’t hold back, those words having made her feel much better after the unpleasant encounter with the man she just had had.


	10. Chapter 10

Erin not only finished her cocktail, but had another one afterwards, even though she knew she had to work in the next day; she was having such a good time with Holtzmann though that she didn’t want to go home, and by the time she finally did get ready to leave the bar, she knew she would regret this in the next day.

“I’d love to stay longer”, she let Holtzmann know with a small sigh, “but I got an eight a.m. class tomorrow, so I really should get going. Gotta be a good role model for those young, impressionable minds after all.”

“I’d like you to stay longer, too”, Holtzmann told her, making her blush and smile again, “but hey, I work here almost every night. So you wanna hang out again, or just maybe wanna go out with someone who’s not boring, rude, creepy, or stupid, send me a message on Facebook. Or text, or call.”

And with that, she grabbed a napkin, then hurriedly scribbled her number onto it; she smiled at Erin as she held it out to her, and Erin felt her cheeks flame again when she accepted it, not quite sure if Holtzmann just had offered to go out on a date with her or if she perhaps had worded it oddly and actually was planning to set her up with one of her friends.

She didn’t want to make a fool of herself though, and so, she didn’t ask; instead, she just nodded mutely, then carefully folded up the napkin and put it in the notebook she carried around in her purse, not wanting it to get wrinkled.

“Um, have a nice evening”, she said, still feeling a bit awkward, “thank you? I’ll see you soon then. Bye, have a nice evening!”

Realizing too late that she had said “have a nice evening” twice, Erin felt her cheeks heat up even further, and quickly gave an awkward wave, feeling embarrassed now; to her relief, Holtzmann just smiled and nodded though, and Erin felt a bit better as she turned and left the bar, her thoughts wandering to the napkin in her pocket again as she once more wondered what this actually had meant.

* * *

“So she said I should text her or call her if I ever want to go out with someone who’s not any of the dreadful things my dates have been”, Erin finished her recollection of the evening, waving the napkin around for emphasis, “and wrote her number down on this napkin. And I’m really not sure what she means.”

Abby blinked, then slowly shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe it, and Erin suddenly felt oddly judged, blushing again – making her wonder if this could become a health hazard – and unable to not sound a bit defensive when she spoke up again.

“What”, she claimed, shrugging to emphasis, “maybe she knows some nice single man my age she wants to set me up with!”

“No, dummy”, Abby said, shaking her head again, “she wants to go out with you! You said her profile says _gay as hell_ and that she said she likes you, she doesn’t know any nice single man she wants to set you up with, she wants to take you out on a date.”

“Oh”, Erin let out, a bit amazed at herself when she blushed _again_ , “you think? Oh dear. I thought this might be it but…”

“But what”, Abby prodded, even though she already had a vague idea of where this might be going, “you’re not into it cause you’re straight? Then you should let her know. Did you let her know?”

“Um”, Erin made, fidgeting a bit nervously now, prompting Abby to raise an eyebrow, “no I… I didn’t. Let her know.”

“Well, you should”, Abby told her, Erin clearing her throat in response, “it’d be unfair to her if she got her hopes up and then you gotta shoot her down.”

Erin mumbled something into her cup of coffee in response, and Abby frowned, not having understood her at all; she asked her to repeat that, and Erin did so, louder this time and clearer, but still not loud enough anyone but Abby could her hear.

“Imightnotbequitestraight”, she blurted out, then fought the impulse to squeeze her eyes shut, irrationally afraid of Abby’s reaction; she had been expecting several ways her friend might react, from being laughed at to contempt or judgement, but she certainly hadn’t expected the way Abby did react.

Because Abby just smiled and nodded, as if she wasn’t surprised the slightest, and all Erin could do was stare at her.

“That’s it?” she then said, when Abby didn’t say anything, “I tell you I’m not straight and you’re not… freaking out the slightest? How? Why? How?”

“Cause you didn’t tell me anything new”, Abby replied, shrugging at the confused look Erin gave her, “come on Erin, I’ve been there when you had your crushes in college, and I know they were not all guys. I was just waiting for you to figure it out for yourself.”

“Oh”, Erin said again, suddenly feeling quite foolish, “that… that’s very sweet of you, Abby, I… wow, I don’t know what to say. I guess… I guess I knew too, part of me did, but, well… I just never… did anything about it. Not after how my parents reacted when I told them, good guess there, by the way.”

“Bi the way”, Abby snickered, clearing her throat and stopping though at the look Erin shot her, apologizing before she shrugged, then smiled an oddly smug smile, Erin confused again at this reaction until Abby continued and explained herself.

“So the app, which I recommended to you, did work out”, Abby told her, grinning, “in a slightly weird way, and not as it’s intended, but it did work. Wait, it will have worked once you go out with her. Are you gonna go out with her?”

“I want to”, Erin admitted, blushing yet again, to Abby’s obvious amusement, “she’s funny, and charming and, yes, she’s attractive, too. And she said she likes me so…”

“You gotta go out with her”, Abby solemnly told her, “telling you she likes you and asking you to call her if you want to go out with someone who’s not an idiot? Come on Erin, you can’t let this chance go by.”

“You’re right”, Erin decided in response, “I should go out with her. She’s been so amazing and kind to me, I’d be stupid to not give this a chance…”

“I agree”, Abby said immediately, nodding for emphasis and making Erin smile, “just give it a try, see how it works out. If it doesn’t, well, at least you tried.”

Erin nodded, resolving to call Holtzmann once her last class was over; and now that she had made this decision, and had practically come out to Abby, she felt oddly lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, unable to stop smiling for the rest of the day.


	11. Chapter 11

Erin’s plan had been to call Holtzmann right after her last class, but once the class had ended, she decided it would be smarter to wait until she was in the privacy of her home, not wanting any colleagues to eavesdrop and ask her annoying questions; and so, she made herself wait, even though she wanted to call, feeling oddly giddy by the time she arrived at her home.

When she grabbed her phone though, and scrolled through her contacts until she found _Holtzmann (Bar),_ she got nervous, and she found herself questioning this again – not because doing this would more or less make her officially bi, but because she couldn’t help but worry, worry if Holtzmann really liked her and worry if this would work out or if she’d be disappointed again, as she had after the dates she’d gotten with the app.

_What if she doesn’t like me after all? What if she was just being nice and has no interest in me calling her?_

The thought made her feel queasy, and suddenly, she didn’t have the courage anymore to actually call; texting was easier, she decided, but still her hand trembled when she started to write the text, her palm was sweaty and her heart beat fast in her chest.

_Hi,_ she wrote, not all too creative, but she figured it was a start, _it’s Erin. How’s it going?_

_Yay Erin,_ the response came not even a minute later, making Erin feel a bit better and making her wonder if Holtzmann actually had been waiting for her to contact her, _I’m good, even better now that you wrote. How’re you?_

_Good too thanks,_ Erin quickly composed her reply, not wanting to make the barkeep wait, _just got home from work. So… you suggested a date with someone who’s not awful the last time we spoke?_

_Yup_ , the response came at once this time, _not to sound cocky, but I was talking about me. Offer still stands._

_Thanks for clarifying ;),_ Erin answered, smiling as happily as the emoji she had sent, _and I wanna take you up on that offer. When do you have a free evening?_

_Tomorrow,_ Holtzmann told her immediately, and her heart skipped an excited beat, _how does dinner sound?_

_Great,_ Erin wrote back, now grinning widely to herself, her heart racing in her chest as this point, _you want to meet somewhere? Or pick me up? Let me warn you in advance, it has been decades since I went on a date with a lady._

_Not a lady, too weird for that :D,_ Holtzmann’s response once again came fast, _but no worries there. I’ll pick you up at six?_

Erin wrote her agreement to this, then texted her address to Holtzmann; they kept texting a bit after that, Holtzmann not very subtly trying to find out what sort of food she liked by asking her if she liked her food flat or meaty, a wording which made Erin laugh at her phone, then the barkeep let her know that she had to get ready for work, and wished her a nice evening.

_The same to you_ , Erin wrote, _looking forward to tomorrow. Have a good shift!_

_Thank you :D_ Holtzmann sent her final response for the evening, the laughing smiley making Erin smile again as well; she looked at the phone for another second, re-reading the conversation – before she let out a squeal of joy, glad that she was alone in her home and that no one had heard, but unable to stop herself, feeling giddy and happy now, looking forward to the next day as she couldn’t wait to go out with Holtzmann.

* * *

Somehow, Erin managed to get through the next day without combusting from sheer excitement, even though she felt very giddy and nervous by the time six o’clock approached; she didn’t allow herself to wonder if Holtzmann would stand her up, like her first app had done, and as it turned out, that had been a good thing to do, as her doorbell rang right at six o’clock, and she nearly bounced the door, taking a moment to clear her throat and take a deep breath to regain some self control before she opened it.

Holtzmann beamed at her, looking so happy – and attractive – that she almost squealed again, and she was glad she managed to hold it back, not wanting to appear like a creepy weirdo to the barkeeper.

“Hello, dearest Erin”, Holtzmann greeted her, going as far as taking a bow and making Erin giggle, her cheeks flushing, “how lovely to see you tonight. Are you ready to get some flat food?”

“You could have just asked if I like pizza”, Erin pointed out, earning a toothy grin from the blonde, “and yes, I am. Also, I’m happy to see you, too.”

“Shall we, then?” Holtzmann smiled in response, offering her arm; giggling again, and feeling a bit like a teenager, Erin took hold of the barkeep’s arm, and they walked down the stairs together, the professor feeling happy and excited, eager to see where Holtzmann would take her.

As it turned out, Holtzmann had found a parking spot close to the apartment building Erin lived in, and while her car was nothing special, Erin could tell it was well cared for; Holtzmann held the passenger side door open for her, then slid into the driver’s seat, smirking when Erin asked her where they would go.

“It’s a surpriii~iiiise”, Holtzmann sing-songed in reply, making Erin giggle, “and it might truly surprise you. Just wait and see.”

She winked at her, then focused on the road again, but didn’t let them fall into a silence which might have been uncomfortable; to avoid this, she asked Erin how her work week had been since her last visit to the bar, and even though Erin could tell that Holtzmann had asked to avoid having them sit next to each other in awkward silence, she also could tell that Holtzmann was truly interested in what she had to say, and listened attentively when she answered.

As she replied, talked about her classes and her research, Holtzmann kept her eyes on the road, but glanced at her every now and then; and Erin kept looking out on the road too, expecting Holtzmann to stop in front of or close to an Italian restaurant, after the blonde’s comment about flat food.

So, she was quite surprised when Holtzmann finally did pull into a parking lot, and the restaurant it belonged to didn’t look Italian at all.

“Behold”, the blonde said as she opened the door for her yet again, making her smile, “the place which serves the best crêpes in town. Bet you were expecting pizza. But if you really want pizza, and hate crêpes, we can go get pizza.”

“I’ve never had crêpes”, Erin admitted, blushing and prompting Holtzmann to gasp dramatically; then, she declared that it was about time then, letting Erin enter first before she took the lead again and confidently marched up to one of the waiters, letting him know that she had reserved a table for two, on the name Holtzmann.

The man nodded and led them to one of the booths at the back of the restaurant, where they would have some privacy; he handed them each a menu, then discreetly retreated, giving them some time to look at the options.

“They have sweet crêpes and spicy ones”, Holtzmann told Erin, waving her menu around for emphasis, “I recommend having a spicy one first and then a sweet one, but you can also go all spicy or all sweet, you do you.”

“I think I’ll take your advice”, Erin gave back, making the blonde smile at her; she returned the smile, then glanced at the menu again, quickly deciding which crêpes she wanted, and once again sure that this had been a good idea and that only good things would come from this date.


	12. Chapter 12

“You were right”, Erin told Holtzmann as she leaned back in her seat, feeling good and contently full, “this was delicious. Thank you for taking me here.”

“My pleasure”, Holtzmann smiled at her, taking a sip of her drink before she continued, “and I’m glad you liked it. But then, I have never met someone who doesn’t like crêpes, so I was sort of playing it safe. Next time, I’ll figure out something more daring to try, like sushi or maybe Mongolian barbecue.”

“I like sushi”, Erin let her know, her heart skipping an exciting beat at how casually Holtzmann had spoken of there being a second date, “I’ve never been to a Mongolian barbecue though, so that sounds like something we can try.”

“Noted”, Holtzmann smiled, eyes sparkling as she held Erin’s gaze, “and also, yay for this subtle try to secure a second date working out.”

“Now you ruined the subtlety”, Erin pointed out, smiling, her smile only widening when Holtzmann snickered in response; she finished her drink with a long gulp, then let out a content sigh, feeling better than she had in weeks.

“Not that I’m not liking the thought of a second date with you”, she then added, Holtzmann’s grin widening in response, “because I’m having a great time. You weren’t exaggerating when you said this wouldn’t be dumb or boring.”

“And luckily I’m not rude and creepy, either”, Holtzmann added, making Erin giggle and nod; then, Holtzmann finished her drink as well before she asked Erin if she wanted to move on to another place and have a drink or two, adding that she knew a nice place not far from the restaurant.

“We can walk there, if you like”, she added, making Erin nod, “walk off some of those calories we just consumed? Or we can drive, whatever you prefer.”

“Walking sounds good”, Erin let her know, not adding out loud that it would mean they’d get to spend more time together; Holtzmann smiled and nodded, then waved the waiter over, Erin protesting when the barkeep paid both their meals, Holtzmann not letting her pay her share though, pointing out that she could pay for drinks at the bar if she wanted things to be fair.

“I will do that”, Erin promised, the waiter listening to their exchange in amusement; Holtzmann finally did pay the bill, then both rose from their chairs and headed out of the restaurant, Holtzmann once more reassuring her that it wasn’t far to the bar she had in mind as they started walking.

“It’s not as nice as the one I work at”, she added, making Erin smile again, “but no other bar in New York is, so…”

“Well, the one you work at is the nicest because you work there”, Erin said, earning a bright happy smile from the blonde; she smiled back at her and, in a moment of uncharacteristic bravery, reached over and took hold of Holtzmann’s hand, her heart skipping a beat when immediately, Holtzmann’s fingers curled around hers.

Holtzmann didn’t say anything about the gesture, and so, Erin figured she shouldn’t, either; she just enjoyed how it felt, having Holtzmann hold her hand like this, her fingers pleasantly warm, but not sweaty, holding her somewhat firm, but not so tight that it would have been uncomfortable.

“So, tell me”, she said, breaking the silence between them even though it hadn’t been uncomfortable, “did you come up with any new interesting drink recipes lately? Since the Cucumber Carnage?”

“Well, I’m working on one”, Holtzmann let her know, making her smile again at how enthusiastic she sounded all at once, “I call it the Lemon Lover, it still tastes a bit too sour though, I’m trying to figure out how to make it sweeter without burying the lemon taste in sugar.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out”, Erin said, earning another bright grin which made her heart skip a beat, “and I can’t wait to try it once you did, so far, all of your drinks have been amazing. You’re really good at that.”

“Thank you”, Holtzmann beamed, then gesturing at the building up ahead, “and luckily, this bar has good drinks, too. Not as good as mine though.”

“Don’t doubt that”, Erin smiled, and just as Holtzmann reached for the bar’s door, it was pushed open from the inside, and Erin froze for a second, immediately recognizing the man stepping outside, his wife following suit behind him.

She froze for a second, then she let go of Holtzmann’s hand, noticing the confused look the blonde shot her from the corner of her eye, confusion which only grew at the obviously fake smile Erin gave the man when he noticed her and greeted her with “Dr Gilbert, hello”, a smile which was so different from the ones Holtzmann had received from Erin that it was almost freaky.

“Dr Bronstein”, Erin said, Holtzmann quickly realizing that this had to be someone Erin worked with, and feeling a bit queasy at how fast Erin had been with letting go of her hand, having made sure that the man wouldn’t notice, “what a surprise to run into you here.”

“Oh, we were just leaving”, Bronstein gave back, eying Holtzmann curiously, “and this is…?”

“Jillian Holtzmann”, Erin quickly said, before Holtzmann herself had the chance to say anything, “she’s, uh, a friend.”

“Ah”, the man let out, and Erin wanted to kick herself, noticing the way Holtzmann was staring at her now, clearly hurt by how she had just referred to her as a friend, “well, it was nice to see you, but we have to get going, I do teach any early class tomorrow. I’ll see you at work.”

“Yes, see you”, Erin agreed a bit too eagerly, glad that neither Bronstein, nor his wife seemed to have noticed; they each gave her a polite smile, then were on their way, Holtzmann clearing her throat the moment they were out of earshot.

“I’m sorry!” Erin blurted before Holtzmann could say something, “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…”

“To what”, Holtzmann wanted to know, and the cold tone of her voice made Erin’s heart clench up, “want your fancy professor friend to know that you’re out on a date with a simple barkeep?”

“What?” Erin gave back, blinking, not having expected this the slightest, not having thought about Holtzmann’s job for even a second when she had referred to her as a friend, “no, that… Holtz, that has nothing to do with it, how would he even have known? It has nothing to do with you, actually, it’s just… I…”

She trailed off, not sure how to tell Holtzmann, fidgeting nervously as the blonde kept looking at her; she looked less hurt now, but still upset, and so, Erin told herself that she had to make this right, that she couldn’t let this evening end with Holtzmann thinking that she was embarrassed about her.

“I’m not out”, she finally decided to be blunt, making it Holtzmann’s turn to blink in surprise, “at… at work, I mean. To anyone. Except for Abby, my best friend, and only since yesterday. I wasn’t even really out to myself until I met you so… I’m sorry I acted like this, I just… sort of… panicked.”

“Oh”, Holtzmann let out, looking somewhat stunned now, but at least she wasn’t looking at Erin with that awfully cold gaze anymore, “I had no idea. I guess I’m so gay, I hardly ever have to out myself, I didn’t think of how it could be different for you.”

“I’m sorry”, Erin apologized again, still feeling bad even though Holtzmann didn’t look as upset anymore as she had, “if you want to end this here I’d understand…”

“I don’t”, Holtzmann reassured her at once, to her relief, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that. So unless you want to call it quits…”

“I don’t want to do that”, Erin shook her head immediately, still feeling bad, but not as bad as she had two minutes ago; and the feeling lessened even further when Holtzmann smiled at her then moved to hold the door open for her, letting her enter first, and following suit behind her as she chose a table at the back of the bar, one where they would have some privacy, both of them feeling better as they sat down after the brief unhappy moment outside.


	13. Chapter 13

“I want you to know something”, Erin said, once they had ordered their drinks and she had taken a sip of it, a tiny bit of liquid courage, “not to jump to conclusions or make assumptions but… if this… with us works out… I won’t do what I did out there again. I might freak out about it a few times, but I won’t deny that you’re my date or my girlfriend.”

She blushed brightly as she said the last few words, and hoped she hadn’t been too forward now; as it turned out though, she hadn’t been, Holtzmann simply smiling at her and nodding, instead of perhaps having a freak out herself and claiming that it was too early to speak of girlfriends and relationships.

“I really overreacted out there”, she then said, to Erin’s amazement blushing a bit, an incredibly cute sight to the professor’s eyes, “I’m sorry. It’s a bit of a sore spot, you know, I mean, I love my job, I enjoy bartending and it’s awesome cause it led to me meeting you, but… it’s not exactly my chosen career.”

She interrupted herself to take a sip of her drink, and Erin had a moment to wonder if she would continue or if she wouldn’t want to say more about this topic; and just when she decided she wouldn’t push if Holtzmann wasn’t willing to say more, the barkeep did continue, even though she seemed to find it hard to look Erin in the eye now as she spoke.

“I was close to getting my doctorate, you know”, she said, Erin gaping at her, not having expected this, “in nuclear engineering. Top of my class, had an offer to start working at CERN right after getting my PhD, all the good stuff.”

“Wow”, Erin let out, impressed, very aware of how difficult it was to get into CERN, knowing they only hired the brightest of the bright, “that’s impressive, Holtzmann, I had no idea…”

Holtzmann just shrugged and gave her a small smile, then took another sip of her drink; she let out a sigh and toyed with the glass, still not looking at Erin as she responded, and from her sudden stilted tone, Erin could tell that it was making her uncomfortable to speak of this, and it touched her that Holtzmann was willing to tell her anyway.

“There was an incident”, the blonde said, one of her hands coming up to tug at her ear, just another sign that she was uncomfortable, “at the lab. A guy got hurt, pretty badly, too, he was in a coma for two months. They did an investigation and said it wasn’t my fault but… I couldn’t let myself off the hook so easily, you know. I couldn’t go back to that lab, not after what happened there, and word had spread, so everyone was weary and worried around me, even if the investigation said it hadn’t been my fault. So I dropped out after a while, was at home being depressed for a time, and went to drink at Patty’s bar. I made up a few recipes there and she ended up offering me a job.”

“That was very nice of her”, Erin said, making Holtzmann smile a bit and nod, a small sigh coming from her before she spoke up again.

“She’s like an older sister to me”, she let Erin know, making the professor smile a bit, “and probably saved me from becoming a depressed alcoholic. I might go back and finish my doctorate at some point, but I’m happy with what I do now, I’m happy with my life, but it’s still a bit of a sore spot, which is why I reacted so badly when I thought it’s about my job.”

“Well, there will be people at Columbia who might be judgy about it”, Erin replied with a small sigh, prompting Holtzmann to make a face, “but no worries there, they will be even more scandalized about the fact that I’m dating a woman. They like to point out how into diversity and how open-minded they have become, but the professors and deans are still rather conservative.”

“You won’t get in trouble, though, right”, Holtzmann wanted to know, frowning, “cause I like the idea of dating you, I really do, but I don’t want it to cause trouble for you…”

“Nah”, Erin replied, making the barkeep smile a bit again, “they might gossip and stare… scratch that, they _will_ gossip and stare, but it won’t cause actual trouble, they’d be too afraid of a lawsuit to risk that. So if you don’t mind being the topic of the professor’s lounge gossip… I really like the idea of dating you, too.”

She blushed a bit and smiled, Holtzmann smiling back at her – before she reached over the table with one hand and placed it on top of Erin’s, the professor’s heart stuttering in excitement again, and making her wonder if this actually could become some sort of health hazard or if she had nothing to worry about.

“I’m glad we talked about this”, Holtzmann let her know, making her nod in agreement, “and I’m glad we’re on the same page about dating each other, or this could have gotten real awkward real fast.”

“True”, Erin replied with a small laugh, “but then, I do get awkward quite often, so it wouldn’t have exactly been news to me. Just a little warning in advance, so you won’t be surprised when it happens.”

Holtzmann just smiled and shrugged, then squeezed her hand tenderly; and as Erin smiled back at her, she suddenly was sure that the little unpleasant moment they’d had outside was behind them and that this would work out, all at once just knowing that things between Holtzmann and herself would be just fine from here on out.

* * *

There were no more awkward or unpleasant moments during the rest of the date, to the relief of both Holtzmann and Erin; Holtzmann stuck to non-alcoholic drinks, having to drive after their date, but since she would provide Erin’s ride home, she reassured the physicist that it was no problem if she wanted to have a drink or two and that she didn’t mind.

So, Erin had ordered a cocktail, and while it was not as good as the ones Holtzmann had made for her, it tasted fine enough; Holtzmann had a cherry coke, and entertained Erin with more stories about the worst dates she had ever witnessed, at one point making Erin laugh so hard that tears started to form in her eyes.

“Oh God”, she let out, wheezing while she tried to blink the tears away without smudging her make-up, “that poor guy, I shouldn’t laugh, but the way you tell it, it’s so funny.”

Holtzmann just grinned, happy about this reaction, then launched into another humorous tale; and once again, Erin giggled heartily at how the blonde told it, complete with animated gestures and different voices, almost feeling annoyed when the waiter interrupted the blonde to take Erin’s empty glass and ask if she wanted a refill.

They both ordered another drink, Erin also choosing a non-alcoholic one this time, not wanting to get tipsy or even drunk while Holtzmann stayed sober; and once the drinks had been served, Holtzmann continued the story, and went right into another one, keeping Erin giggling in amusement until those drinks had been finished as well.

Mindful of the clock, Erin paid their drinks afterwards, instead of ordering new ones; and as Holtzmann and she walked to the car, Erin found herself wondering if they would end up sharing a kiss, if Holtzmann would walk her to the door or if it would happen in the car, and if she should be the one to initiate it or if she should wait and see if Holtzmann would make a move.

She started to get nervous again, knowing she was overthinking this, but unable to help herself; thankfully, if Holtzmann was noticing, she didn’t comment, keeping her eyes on the road instead as she drove Erin home, not quite at the speed limit, clearly in no hurry to arrive at the professor’s building.

Despite her slow driving, they did end up at Erin’s building sooner than she would have liked; and as she parked the car and let the engine idle, Holtzmann wondered if it would be okay to kiss Erin, on one hand feeling a rather burning need to do so, but on the other hand not wanting to appear too pushy and freak the professor out.

She dared to glance over at the redhead, at the exact same moment Erin did so; their eyes met, and for just a second, Erin’s gaze flickered down to her lips, just long enough to let Holtzmann notice.

It had been a mere second, so easy to miss, but Holtzmann hadn’t missed it, and she took it as a sign that her need wasn’t one sided; and so, she leaned in, and kissed Erin, and it was awkward and uncomfortable with them both in car seats and the hand brake and gear shift between them, but it was sweet, too, sweeter than any other kiss she could remember.

Erin kissed her back at once, no matter how awkward and uncomfortable it might be; one of her hands came up to cup Holtzmann’s jaw, and she nearly moaned in response, the gentle touch a stark contrast to how their kiss became more passionate.

Holtzmann tasted of cherry coke and, somehow, cinnamon and lemon chewing gum; it was a mixture which made Erin feel light-headed, and if she hadn’t been sitting down, her knees probably would have buckled.

As it was, it made her heart race in her chest and her stomach feel as if it was filled with butterflies; it had been way too long since she had been kissed like this, and perhaps, it should have concerned her that she reacted so strongly, but she couldn’t help it, barely noticing that the hand brake was digging into her thigh painfully as she tried to get even closer to the barkeep.

“Come upstairs with me”, she breathed once they had pulled apart again, surprising herself with this bold move, and obviously, surprising Holtzmann too, the barkeep blinking at her, causing her to blush deeply.

“I normally don’t do this”, she added, cheeks still flaming, “but… Honestly, it’s been way too long since anyone kissed me like this, and I don’t think I can just go to sleep now. So if you want to…”

“Oh, I definitely want to”, Holtzmann reassured her, making her smile brightly; then, Erin practically hopped out of the car while Holtzmann killed the engine and hurried to follow her, both of them grinning as they quickly walked into the building hand in hand, both of them more than eager to spend some intimate time together.


	14. Chapter 14

Erin awoke early in the next morning, feeling better than she had had in months.

She hadn’t shared her bed this way with another woman since her college days, and had been worried that she might make a fool of herself; as it had turned out though, she hadn’t forgotten any of the important bits, and Holtzmann had been quick to let her know what she liked and didn’t like, and as she often was in her life, Erin had turned out to be a fast learner.

Next to her, Holtzmann was still fast asleep, curled up against her like an adorable koala – an adorable _naked_ koala, Erin belatedly realized, but she couldn’t find it within herself to be embarrassed, since she was just as naked, and they had done way more than just see each other’s naked bodies the night before.

Erin was fairly sure that Holtzmann had left a hickey on her throat, and if anyone else had done this, she would have been furious; she found it hard to care now though, too relaxed and content after the night they had had, the best night she’d had in years, if not in decades.

She had been quick to learn what Holtzmann liked, but Holtzmann had figured out even faster what Erin herself enjoyed, and she had been quick to put this newly acquired knowledge to good use.

Not wanting to wake her up, Erin laid still, even though her arm had been pinned beneath Holtzmann and had fallen asleep; she couldn’t bring herself to tear Holtzmann out of her slumber though, studying her as she slept, blushing a bit when she noticed the scratches on the blonde’s back, faint red lines which still were visible, and she was quite glad that at least, she hadn’t broken the skin.

Even though she had tried hard to not wake Holtzmann, the barkeep did stir a few minutes later, then blinked her eyes sleepily – before she seemed to recall where she was and her gaze came up to meet Erin’s, a sleepy smile curling her lips which made Erin’s heart skip an excited beat.

“Good morning”, the physicist said, smiling as well, even though she winced a bit when Holtzmann moved and her arm was freed, pins and needles immediately all over it, from her wrist to her shoulder, “oh, and thanks for that. I think my arm has been asleep for at least an hour.”

“Aw”, Holtzmann let out, sympathetic, “want me to massage it back to life?”

“I’m not sure if that will help or make it worse”, Erin pointed out, earning a snicker from the blonde; then, Holtzmann leaned over her for a quick kiss, smiling at her afterwards, Erin returning the smile without fully noticing, feeling happier than she had in a long time.

“No massage then”, Holtzmann said, making the physicist nod, “but how about we have a shower and then go out for breakfast? Unless you want to have breakfast here?”

“I don’t think I have anything here which might make a good breakfast”, Erin replied, blushing a bit, “I don’t… cook a lot? So that sounds like a good plan.”

She managed to hide well how relieved this made her feel, as it meant that, even after they had had sex, Holtzmann still wanted to spend time with her, and that this hadn’t been a one night stand for the barkeep; and for a moment, she thought that she saw the same emotion on Holtzmann’s face, and wondered if the younger woman had had similar concerns after the night they had spent together.

“May I accompany you to the shower, then?” Holtzmann said, making the professor giggle as she nodded; she stole another quick kiss, then rolled out of bed and led the way to the bathroom, Holtzmann following her eagerly, making Erin sure all at once that this was only the start of something wonderful and that many more happy mornings like this one were in the future they would share.

* * *

 

_One Year Later_

Erin had been right when she had seen many happy days in the future for Holtzmann and herself, and she never in her life had been happier to be right.

They did have arguments, as all couples did, but never big and harsh ones, and even the small ones never lasted long; Holtzmann’s mere presence in her life was enough to make her more easy-going and less worried about what other people thought of her, and the barkeep’s joyful personality made it easier for her to handle when people reacted oddly to her being in a steady relationship with another woman.

It had caused quite the buzz at Columbia, at first, but it hadn’t caused actual trouble, the university staff too mindful of their reputation to do more than gossip; and when the first student shyly had approached Erin, and had told her that she needed help with a coming out situation of her own, Erin had realized that the gossip was good for something, too, eager to help out when she could.

The gossip had died down after a bit, but the not-straight students asking for help hadn’t; and by now, Erin had sort of a reputation to have an open ear for any troubles students might have with this, and sometimes, Holtzmann was there, too, adding her experiences to the talks Erin had with those who asked for her help.

On this day, nobody had come to her office to ask for help though, and while she did like to be able to help, she also was glad that she got to leave on time – because it was the day Holtzmann and she had decided on as their anniversary, and Holtzmann had promised her something special when she’d come home, having taken the evening off from her job at the bar to make sure she’d have time for her.

Thankfully, her drive home was uneventful, no traffic jams keeping her from getting to the apartment she shared with Holtzmann by now; and already upon entering, she could smell the dinner Holtzmann had prepared – as it turned out, the blonde wasn’t only very talented at making up cocktail and shot recipes, but also at cooking, and she had put those talents to good use, food and drinks waiting for Erin when she stepped into the living room.

“Welcome home, babe”, Holtzmann smiled after having greeted her with a gentle kiss, “please do be seated, first course of a three course dinner will come right up.”

“You’re too good to me”, Erin sighed as she moved to the table and sat down; Holtzmann just shook her head and winked, then hurried off to the kitchen, re-emerging with plates of soup a minute later.

They talked about how their day had been during the soup, and once Erin had finished, Holtzmann rushed off to get the main course; it turned out to be the exact kind of crêpes Erin had eaten during their first real date together, as perfectly made as the ones Erin had had back then and filled the exact same way.

And dessert, as it turned out, was Erin’s favourite, strawberry cheesecake with a Blueberry Blast to go along with it; and after the desert, Holtzmann asked her to wait for a minute, winking at her as she let her know that there was a special surprise ready, to finish the evening on a high note.

“Just give me two minutes”, she then added, Erin nodding at once, curious what this surprise might be; Holtzmann hurried off to the bedroom, and exactly two minutes later, Erin followed her, only to stop dead in her tracks the moment she opened the door.

Holtzmann was wearing a white doctor’s coat, and a stethoscope around her neck, and nothing else.

“Holtz”, Erin let out, blinking, “what are you… what? Why? What is happening?”

“Remember?” Holtzmann replied with a hint of teasing in her voice, “the _heart listening thingy?_ ”

“Oh my God”, Erin let out, blushing deeply, making Holtzmann grin, “now I remember. I can’t believe you remembered that, too. Oh my God. I hate you, but I also love you.”

“Love you, too”, Holtzmann smiled, then raised the stethoscope, “and so, are you ready for your check-up, Dr Gilbert?”

“Oh heck yes I am”, Erin replied, already unbuttoning her blouse; Holtzmann had time for a triumphant smile, then Erin threw off her blouse and moved to kiss her deeply, the doctor’s coat soon falling to the floor, followed by the rest of their clothes as the celebration of their first anniversary together came to its rather steamy finale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done :) I hope you enjoyed - new one coming soon :D


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